A registered nurse, Naomi Derrick, in New Jersey was caught on camera, repeatedly stabbing a 10-year-old autistic boy with a hypodermic needle when he misbehaved.
Employees at the AtlantiCare Regional Health Care’s psychiatric unit in Atlantic City also witnessed the nurse stabbing the autistic boy.
During a hearing on July 12, the nurse was asked to temporarily surrender her license while the investigation ensues, which began months after footage of the incident was captured on camera May 2015.
Derrick was seen stabbing the autistic boy in his arm, leg, thigh, kneecaps, foot, and hand when he was out of control.
If the stabbing did not work, the nurse was seen stomping on the child’s bare foot with her shoe in order to get the child to comply.
Staff members also reported seeing Derrick bend the autistic boy’s finger back until it cracked if he continued to misbehave.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNWK784T0YY
Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino stated that:
“…A developmentally disabled child, confined to a psychiatric ward under the supervision of nurses, is as vulnerable a patient as you can find.”
“Instead of caring for this boy and protecting him from harm, as was her duty, Derrick allegedly used her position of authority to bully and assault him.”
Porrino went on to say that “there is no place in the healthcare profession for this kind of barbaric behavior.”
Steve Lee, who is the director of the Division of Consumer Affairs, reassured the public that:
“…The nurse has been banned from further practice and she has no access to any of the patients at the facility.”
Lee added that:
“…Her alleged actions demonstrate a shocking departure from the most basic standards of care, let alone the standard of care one would expect for a child with special needs.”
“If Nurse Derrick had not agreed to voluntarily surrender her license, the Board was prepared to take action to suspend it.”
Featured Image via Wikipedia
